Fish-hook.



No. magma. Patented luly 30, mm. F. CLARK.

FISH HOOK. (A umimi filed Oct. 12', 1900.

2 Sheets-Sheet I.

(No Model.)

m: Ncmqls :rrzws an. vuovoumm wasnmomu. a. c

No. 679,296. Patented July 30, I901].

r. CLARK.

FISH HOUK.

(Application flld Oct. 12 1900.) (No Model.)

2 Sheefs-$heet 2.

cm: Ncnms PLTERS 50.. PRuTo-umo. WASHNGTQN n. c

UNITED- STATES PATET rric.

FRED CLARK, OF CLEARLAKE, MINNESOTA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO CARL D.SCHWAB, OF SAME PLACE.

FlSH HOOK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 679,296, dated July 30,1901..

Application filed October 12,1900- Serial No. 32,858. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known. that I, FRED CLARK, a citizen of the United States,residing at Clearlake, in the county of Sherburne and State ofMinnesota, have invented a new and useful Fishi look, of which thefollowing is a specifica- This invention relates to an improvement infish-hooks; and the primary object of the same is to provide a simpleand effective trolling-hook of a form of construction whereby the pointswill be fully protected without interference in any manner with theirfunction while trolling or fishing among weeds or grass and capable ofwithstanding a greater pressure laterally before projecting the pointsor barbs thereof than similar devices as heretofore constructed, andalso to have the hooks so unretardingly movable in lateral directionsthat their spring tension may be varied to render them more sensitive inthe quick projection of their points or increase their inward normallocation to such an extent as to require a very strong pressure toproject the said points, and, furthermore, by such characteristic topermit ready access to auxiliary hooks above the lower main hooks fortruing or otherwise manipulating said auxiliary hooks.

To this end the invention contemplates as the essential feature acluster or group of two lower hooks and an upper cluster or group of twosmaller hooks at a right angle to the former, both clusters having thepoints inturned toward each other and arranged vertically and the pointsof the lower hooks below the plane of the bends or elbows of the upperhooks for permitting unretarded lateral opening and closing movement ofsaid lower hooks, the shanks of the two hooks of both clusters beingsecured to spring-loops havinglegs diverging from their upper ends andone shorter than the other, so that the longer one can be projectedabove the shorter one to form an attaching-eye.

The invention further consists in the construction and arrangement ofthe several parts in detail, as will be more fully hereinafter describedand claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective View of a trolling hook ordeviceembodying the features of the invention. Fig. 2 is a similar viewshowing the position of the hooks after a strike has been made. Fig. 3is an elevation of a portion of the device, showing the manner oflaterally adjusting the hooks of the lower cluster. Fig. 4: is a Viewsimilar to Fig. 3, showing the manner of adjusting the hooks of theupper cluster. Fig. 5 is a detail elevation of the larger loop and lowercluster of hooks. Fig. 6 is a view similar to that shown by Fig. 5,showing the smaller loop and upper cluster of hooks.

Similar numerals of reference are employed to indicate correspondingparts in the several views.

The numeral 1 designates a spring-wire loop having divergent legsintegral with the shanks 2 of a lower cluster or group of two hooks 3,having their barbed or pointed ends 4 inturned toward each andvertically arranged in close relation, so that they will pass each otherwhen the cluster or group is operated, either when a strike is made orduring trolling-pressure to a degree that is readily adjustable in thepresent instance. A second spring-wire loop 5 is provided and of lessextent or smaller than the loop 1, the said loop 5 also having divergentlegs 6 integral with the shanks 7 of an upper cluster or group of twobooks 8, which are of less dimension than the hooks 3. The loop 5 isarranged in a plane at right angles to the loop 1 and secured to thelatter by winding wire or other suitable material around theclosely-arranged reduced extremities of both loops and the fasteningcompleted by the application of suitable solder or other adhesivesubstance. In securing the reduced loop extremities as set forth theupper end of the loop 1 is permitted to project above the upper end ofthe loop 5 to form an attaching-eye 9, and by constructing the resilientsupporting means for the groups of hooks in the form of springwire loopsa material advantage is gained in the cost of production and the timerequired to fasten the parts with reliable firmness, be cause the saidloops can be more readily assembled in the angular relation desired thanif the legs were made of separate wires and bunched and afterwardadjusted. It is obvious that an accurate disposition of the legscompletely detached.

can be acquired by the use of the loops, and therefore the securement ofthe same will be more expeditious as Well as stronger, as one leg cannotbecome loose and break off from the fastening, and beforedismembermentcan ensue either one of the loops will have to be Moreover,by projecting the reduced end of one loop above the other loop to forman eye the usual extra work required to apply an eye made separately isavoided and a much stronger resultant construction ensues by reason ofcausing the lines of strain to be directly applied to the legs of thelarger loop and decrease the possibility of pulling the eye off underheavy weight, as in landing large fish.

The lower cluster or group of hooks 3 have their pointed ends or barbsin a plane below that of the bends or elbows of the cluster or group ofhooks 8, so that said lower hooks may have unretarded inward and outwardlateral movement without contacting with any portion of the said upperhooks. This arrangement was devised to carry out very importantfunctions not attainable in hooks as heretofore constructed andembodying a similar principle of operation, and in the said old form ofhooks the cluster of lower hooks was limited in its adjustment and noprovision made for increasing or decreasing the extent of the samelaterally to accommodate various conditions found in different waters,or to make the same hook structure equally effective for use with largefish or those having peculiarities in their methods of striking, or tocompensate for variations in the thickness of the weeds or grass throughwhich it is desired to troll, and also reducible to compensate for thecontracted area of the mouths of certain other fish, both large andsmall. The improved constructionis capable of adjustment to meet all thesaid contingencies and adapt one hook arrangement, as set forth, forvarious uses by a simple method of adjustment. As shown by Fig. 3, thelegs of the loop 1 can be spread apart laterally any distance and thedegree of divergence increased, so that it will require a greaterpressure on the shanks of the hooks carried by said looplegs to forcethe points of the hooks outward beyond the plane of the said shanks, andby this means the improved hook can be arranged at will for use introlling in grass or weeds having a variation in thickness of growth orfor use in catching those fish which are slow to fully take in the hooksand fully apply the mouth force to the legs and shanks, and in thelatter instance a too sensitive projection or quick outward movement ofthe hookpoints would result in the failure to obtain a firm hold orpositive strike, and the fish would be lost. The divergence of the legsof the loop 1 and also of the loop of the upper cluster can be made toretain the angle desired by moving the fingers of the handlongitudinally over the legs of the loops and at the same time apply aslight pressure, and the maximum outward extent of the hooks of thelower cluster can be obtained independent of the adjustment of the uppercluster in a similar manner, or both sets of legs can be proportionatelyadjusted for the same purpose. The hooks of both clusters may also berendered extremely sensitive for trolling in open waters or those devoidof growths and to have the points of the hooks work very quickly tocatch fish striking very suddenly and forcefully,and in all the manifoldadjustments that can be obtained and pursued there is no liability ofbreaking the legs, owing to their continuous formation with each otherthrough the provision of the loops. The unretarded opening movement ofthe hooks of the lower cluster also permits sighting the cluster abovefrom the bottom of the device in truing the said upper cluster andascertain if it be centrally positioned with relation to the uppercluster. This central position of the upper cluster of hooks isessential, because if projected to one side they might be operatedbefore the hooks of the lower cluster,which would be objectionable formany reasons.

To the eye 9 the lower end of a connecter 10 is movably attached andcomprises an intermediate body-wire 11, with an upper attaching-hook 12for the application of a swivel 13, which can be readily separated fromthe said hook and forms the means of attaching the line. On the saidbody-wire 11 a U-shaped clip 14: is slidingly mounted by having eyes 15,formed in the ends thereof, of greater dimensions than the wire andthrough which the latter is passed. To prevent the ends of the clip frombeing forced toward each other to such an extent as to bind on the wirebody 11, a space-sleeve 16 is mounted on the wire in a loose mannerbetween the clip ends. A spoon 17 is loosely attached to the clip byhaving an eye 18 formed in the upper end of the spoon of greaterdiametrical extent than the width of the clip-bow and to receive thelatter, as clearly shown, and by this means the spoon is permitted tohave a free rotary or whirling movement and to slip longitudinally onthe body-wire 11, a loose washer 19 being interposed between the lowerfastening end of the connector and the lower end of the clip.

By fprming the loops and shanks of the hooks integral or continuousanother valuable improvement results, by reason of the time and laborsaved over the ordinary method of attaching the hook-shanks to the legs.Furthermore, by this construction a more durable device results, and theassemblage of the two loops completes the main structure of the improvedhook. The size of the stock employed in the make-up of the combinedloops and shanks, including the hooks, will depend on the dimensions ofthe latter, and in preparing these combined devices the hooks are firstshaped as desired and the points or barbs carefully formed, and theneach loop with its hooks is highly tempered, the temper being afterwardsuffierases ciently drawn to produce the upper reduced portions of theloops without in the least interfering with the resiliency of the legs.After the upper bends have been properly acquired they can beretempered.

Many other advantages aside from those set forth will become apparent bythe use of the improved hook and the adjustment specified will be foundto be of material importance in adapting the device to differentconditions.

Having thus described the inventionywhat is claimed as new is- 1.Atrolling-hook comprising an upper and a lower group of two hooksarranged in planes at right angles to each other, both groups having thepointed ends of the hooks inturned toward each other and continuous withbendable resilient shanks, the pointed ends of the hooks of the lowergroup being below the plane of the lowermost portions of the bends orelbows of the upper hooks to permit the said lower hooks to have freeand unretarded outward lateral movement beyond the vertical plane ofsaid upper hooks and also free inward movement to increase or decreasethe lateral extent of the lower hooks.

2. A trolling device comprising an upper and a lower group of two hooksarranged in planes at right angles to each other, both groups having thepointed ends of the hooks inturned toward each other and continuous withdepending shanks integrally continuing from the lower portions ofspring-loops of different lengths and having the upper reduced looped orbent portions thereof contiguously arranged at right angles and the bendof the shorter loop fitted within that of the longer one, the bend ofthe longer loop being projected above that of the shorter loop to forman eye for attaching purposes, the pointed ends of the lower group ofhooks being below the plane of the lowermost portions of the elbows orbends of the hooks of the upper group to permit the said lower group ofhooks to have unretarded inward and out ward lateral movement beyond thevertical plane of the said upper group of hooks.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

FRED CLARK.

Witnesses:

E. E. DOYLE, FRANK S. APPLEMAN.

